Auburn, AL - Forbes.com has named the Auburn/Opelika Area number ten on this year’s list of America’s best small cities for jobs.

Forbes ranked 398 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), including 241 MSAs with less than 150,000 jobs. Rankings were based on employment data over more than a decade, growth trends and “the region’s momentum.” Forbes cites economic diversity, affordability and quality of life as key to job creation.

Auburn Mayor Bill Ham, Jr. said “This couldn’t be a better follow-up to what our citizens told us in the Annual Citizen Survey. We’ve been working for decades to build a diverse, stable economy and rankings like this are a testament to the success of that approach. In Auburn, Alabama, we’re dedicated to creating job opportunities and maintaining our excellent school system and quality of life.”

Other recent Forbes rankings include the #6 “Best Small Place for Business and Careers in the U.S.” in 2010, “#1 in Projected Job Growth in the U.S.” in 2009 and the “6th Fastest Growing Small Metro in the U.S.” in 2008.